Geranium Plant Named ‘Fispurple’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named ‘Fispurple’, as described and illustrated, and particularly characterized by the combined features of small, round, intense purple-red colored flowers, compact inflorescence, medium-green foliage with slight zonation, and compact, lowly molded plant habit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of geraniumplant, botanically known as Pelargonium zonale, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name ‘Fispurple’.

‘Fispurple’ is a product of a planned breeding program which had theobjective of creating new geranium varieties with purple to cherry-redflower color and relatively compact plant habit.

‘Fispurple’ originates from spontaneous seed set of the variety ‘Robe’(unpatented), discovered in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, in 1992 by theinventor, Angelika Utecht. The commercial variety ‘Robe’ ischaracterized by dark-red to purple-red, semi-double flowers,medium-green foliage with weak zonation and compact plant habit.

‘Fispurple’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny ofthe stated seed set by the inventor, Angelika Utecht, in 1993 in acontrolled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘Fispurple’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in autumn1993 in a controlled environment in Galdar, Gran Canaria, Spain, by, orunder the supervision of, Angelika Utecht. Horticultural examination ofplants grown from cuttings of the plant, initiated in May 1996, inHillscheid, Germany, and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated thatthe combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for ‘Fispurple’are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations ofasexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of ‘Fispurple’, which in combinationdistinguish this geranium as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Brilliant purple-red colored, round, semi-double flowers;

2. Medium to large, tight, nearly semi-spherically shaped umbels;

3. Medium-green foliage with weak zonation;

4. Relatively compact, low, but wide, plant habit; and

5. Mid-season spring flowering response.

‘Fispurple’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary significantlywith variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity andday length without any change in the genotype. The followingobservations, measurements, and comparisons describe plants grown inHillscheid, Germany, and in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, undergreenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used incommercial practice.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to ‘Fispurple’ are the variety ‘Fismag’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 8,725) and the parental variety ‘Robe’. In comparison to‘Fismag’, ‘Fispurple’ has smaller and more round-shaped flowers with adistinctly more intense and more bluish tone of color. Furthermore,‘Fispurple’ grows less vigorously and remains relatively low andcompact, while ‘Fismag’ tends to develop a tall and somewhat more openplant habit during the summer.

In comparison to ‘Robe’, ‘Fispurple’ has a more purple-red tone offlower color, in contrast to the deep cherry-red of ‘Robe’, and somewhatmore intense green color of foliage, zonation and sepals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying photographic illustration shows typical flower andfoliage characteristics of ‘Fispurple’ with colors being as true aspossible with an illustration of this type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The measurements were taken in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, onJun. 15, 1999, 12 weeks after planting of rooted cuttings into 15-cmpots. The plants had not been pinched. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.)Colour Chart. The color values were determined indoors from plantsdeveloped in a greenhouse in May 1999 in Hillscheid, Germany.

Classification:

Botanical.—A hybrid of the species Pelargonium zonale L'Hérit.

Commercial.—Zonal geranium, cv. ‘Fispurple’.

Inflorescence:

Umbel.—Shape: Compact, nearly semi-spherical. Average diameter: 95 mm.Average depth: 45 mm. Peduncle length: 141 mm. Peduncle color:Light-green, about RHS 144 A. Pedicel length: 22 mm. Pedicel color:Upper part is red to dark-red, near RHS 60 A; the base is green RHS 143B. Number of flowers per umbel: About 20-30. Lastingness of the umbel:Approximately 20 days at 18° C.

Corolla.—Average diameter: 46 mm. Form: Semi-double. Shape: Nearlyround, cup-shaped. Number of petals: 9-10. Size: Upper petals (2) are24-26 mm long, 17-20 mm wide; lower petals are approximately 23 mm longand 20 mm wide; inner petals are smaller. Shape: Obovate, attenuatebase, upper end is rounded, margin entire or with very slight crenationat the tip. Number of petaloids: 0-2. Color of petaloids: Upper andlower surface RHS 57 A, base is whitish to pale pink RHS 65 D. Color(general tonality from a distance of three meters): Intense purple-red.Color of upper petals: RHS 57 A. Markings of upper petals: Scarlet zoneat the base, near RHS 44 A. Color of lower petals: RHS 66 A. Color oflower surface of petals: Upper petals RHS 52 A, lower petals RHS 57 A.Color of sepals: Outer surface green, varying between RHS 143 A to RHS143 B, with reddish base RHS 185 B, inner surface light green RHS 143 C,with reddish base RHS 47 A. Number of sepals: 5. Size of sepals: 10-12mm long, 4-5 mm wide for the largest upper sepal; 3 mm wide for theother sepals. Shape of sepals: Linear to lanceolate; acute tip; truncatebase; surface with weak, short pubescence; margin entire.

Bud (just before petals unfold).—Shape: Elliptical to broad elliptical.Color (sepals): Mainly light-green, RHS 143 B, reddish at the base RHS179 A. Color (petals): Intense red, about RHS 57 A. Length: 14-16 mm.Width: 10 mm.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: About 5 fertile anthers with whitishfilaments and yellow-orange pollen, RHS 33 A in moderate amount.Gynoecium: 5-6-lobed stigma, purple-red stigma and filament, one pistilper flower. Fertility/seed set: Occasionally, a few seeds are developed,oblong shape, 4-5 mm long, brown RHS 177 B. Fruit: Oblong, 6 mm long.

Spring flowering response period.—In Hillscheid, Germany, in 1999,plants had on average 0.6 flowers opened 8 weeks after planting ofrooted cuttings.

Outdoor flower production.—Medium to rich, the flower count in 1999, inHillscheid, Germany, indicated about 3.5 inflorescences per plant inmid-May.

Durability.—Good shatter resistance and relatively good rain resistance.

Lastingness of the individual bloom.—Approximately 8 days at 18° C.

Fragrance.—None.

Plant:

Foliage.—Shape: Kidney-shape, with open cordate base, weak lobes,outline fairly uniformly rounded. Texture Upper surface slightlyvelvety. Margin: Bicrenated. Size of leaf: 76 mm wide, 45-50 mm long.Color of upper surface: Medium-green, approximately RHS 137 B to RHS 137C. Color of zonation: Weak, brown, about RHS 166 A. Petiole: 55-65 mm inlength, 3 mm in diameter, about RHS 144A.

General appearance and form.—Internode length: 5-15 mm. Branchingpattern: 6.1 branches. Plant size: 16.5 cm high as measured from thebase of the stem/soil surface to the surface of the foliage canopy and33.0 cm wide.

Disease/pest resistance/susceptibility: None observed to date.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of geranium plant named‘Fispurple’, as described and illustrated.